San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies had to ask two hot air balloon pilots to land their crafts after authorities received numerous 911 calls reporting they were flying dangerously close to rooftop, Tuesday, Feb. 6. (Courtesy San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

In what may be the strangest traffic stop of the day, sheriff’s deputies forced two hot air balloon pilots to land their bulbous crafts when authorities began to receive numerous 911 calls about the brightly colored orbs coming dangerously close to rooftops and striking the tops of trees in a Yucaipa neighborhood Tuesday morning.

“Both pilots were found to be hot air balloon enthusiasts, and were flying their privately owned balloons for personal use,” according to a San Bernardino County sheriff’s Yucaipa station press release.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies had to ask two hot air balloon pilots to land their crafts after authorities received numerous 911 calls reporting they were flying dangerously close to rooftop, Tuesday, Feb. 6. (Courtesy San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department)

The calls started to come into sheriff’s dispatch shortly before 8 a.m. reporting the two balloons were flying very low and may have crashed into homes in the 34700 block of Maplewood Lane in the Chapman Heights neighborhood, the statement said.

Deputies went to the neighborhood and spotted the balloons — one green, the other blue — flying above the golf course, “at times coming within 5 feet of rooftops and hitting trees,” officials said.

Deputies were able to get the pilots’ attention and asked them to land immediately. One balloon landed safely land in a high school baseball field. Though the release didn’t name the school, the closest high school to the golf course is Yucaipa High School. The second balloon was able to land in an orange grove at a private home in Mentone, officials said.

Deputies identified and spoke to the pilots and authorities will be forwarding a report to the Federal Aviation Administration for further review of any possible FAA violations, sheriff’s officials said.

Beatriz E. Valenzuela is an award-winning journalist who’s covered breaking news in Southern California since 2006 and has been on the front lines of several national and international news events. She’s worked for media outlets serving Southern California readers covering education, local government, entertainment and all things nerd including comic book culture and video games. She’s an amateur obstacle course racer, constant fact-checker, mother of three and lover of all things adorable.